WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• Officials to give Texas explosion probe results

  May 16, 2013 8:48 AM

  WEST, Texas - Federal and state officials say they're poised to announce findings of their investigation into a deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion that killed at least 14 people. Officials from the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are scheduled to... more »

• Job fair today for positions at Geismar plant

  April 25, 2013 10:57 AM

  GEISMAR - A chemical company with expansion plans in Geismar scheduled a job fair today for potential hires. Methanex Corp. is building a new methanol production facility which will open by the end of 2014. The facility will have 135 permanent, full-time jobs in a variety of positions around... more »

• DPS: 12 bodies recovered after Texas plant blast

  April 19, 2013 8:51 AM

  WEST, Texas - A Texas law enforcement official says 12 bodies have been recovered following a massive explosion that leveled a fertilizer plant. Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jason Reyes said Friday that about 200 people were injured in the explosion at facility Wednesday night in the small... more »

• Rain delays start for Nucor plant

  April 18, 2013 2:39 PM

  CONVENT- The heavy rains over the first two months of the year have pushed back the start-up date for Nucor Corp.'s 2.5 million-ton direct reduced iron plant in St. James Parish. Nucor said because of "extreme weather conditions", the plant is expected to begin operating late this year. The... more »

• German Pellets: Construction starting soon in La.

  April 17, 2013 4:21 PM

  URANIA - A German company says construction will begin soon on a wood pellet plant in central Louisiana. An announcement posted Wednesday on the German Pellets GmbH website says the plant will be able to produce about 1.1 million tons of pellets a year in U.S. measurements. The pellets are... more »

• Huntsman group expanding Geismar chemical plant

  March 21, 2013 3:02 PM

  GEISMAR - The Huntsman Corporation announced today plans to build a $78 million expansion at their Geismar chemical facility. State economic officials said the expansion will create 17 new direct jobs and 60 indirect jobs, as well as retain the 397 existing jobs at the plant. "We know... more »

• Hospital: At least 10 hurt in Illinois plant blast

  March 7, 2013 11:15 AM

  GRANITE CITY, Ill.- Officials say an explosion at a southwestern Illinois steel plant has injured at least 10 people, three critically. Fire officials say the blast happened shortly after 8 a.m. Thursday at American Steel in Granite City, just northeast of St. Louis. A spokeswoman for the local hospital, Gateway... more »

• New multi-million dollar plant bringing jobs to BR Play Video

  March 6, 2013 1:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Jindal and city leaders announced today that a new multi-million dollar chemical company project would start construction soon in Baton Rouge, leading to hundreds of new jobs. Jindal said the state had been working for a year to land the $150 million expansion for Katoen... more »

• Shell to build natural gas plant in Geismar

  March 5, 2013 3:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Shell and its affiliates plan to build a small-scale, natural gas-liquefaction plant in Geismar and one in Canada that will provide fuel for commercial customers. The company said Tuesday it will install the Louisiana unit, which will supply LNG along the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal... more »

• False alarms ring out near River Bend nuclear plant

  February 7, 2013 5:20 PM

  NEW ROADS - Disaster alarms sounded in parts of Pointe Coupee Parish Thursday, prompting a scare that something went terribly wrong at the nuclear power plant nearby. But, the only issue was malfunctioning equipment that activated warning sirens. The sheriff's office told WBRZ News 2, deputies received a call... more »

• City leaders approve projects for Costco in BR

  January 23, 2013 12:49 AM

  BATON ROUGE- City leaders approved some project specs for wholesaler Costco. The store is set to be built on the site of the old Coca Cola bottling plant near Airline and I-12. City leaders heard concerns from people about the plan. Some are worried about traffic in the... more »

• Algeria: Army rescues hostages, toll unclear

  January 17, 2013 3:32 PM

  ALGIERS, Algeria - Algerian special forces launched a rescue operation Thursday at a natural gas plant in the Sahara Desert and freed foreign hostages held by al-Qaida-linked militants, but estimates for the number of dead varied wildly from four to dozens. Militants claiming revenge for France's intervention against rebels in... more »

• $1.3B natural gas-to-gasoline plant planned for LC

  January 16, 2013 3:57 AM

  LAKE CHARLES - G2X Energy Inc. of Houston says it plans a $1.3 billion plant to turn natural gas into gasoline at the Port of Lake Charles. Louisiana Economic Development said Tuesday it would create 243 jobs averaging $66,500 a year. They say G2X will lease 200 acres... more »

• Tornado at Iberville Parish plant caught on tape Play Video

  January 10, 2013 1:38 PM

  PLAQUEMINE - A tornado damaged an industrial chemical plant in Iberville Parish as severe weather moved through southern Louisiana this morning. Surveillance cameras at the SNF Flopam plant caught footage of the twister as it moved through the area near the plant. The plant was staffed as the... more »

• Startup auto company moving into former GM plant

  January 3, 2013 12:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A startup car company called Elio Motors is moving into the former General Motors plant in Shreveport, where it would build three-wheeled, low-price vehicles. Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Thursday that Elio is buying part of the plant to assemble its unusual-looking car. The company says the two-seat... more »

• GM plant being sold in Shreveport

  January 2, 2013 10:14 PM

  SHREVEPORT - Shreveport and Caddo Parish officials say the former General Motors assembly plant has a buyer that plans thousands of vehicle assembly jobs with good pay. Assistant Parish Administrator Randy Lucky says the buyer expects to bring 1,500 jobs by the end of the second quarter and 3,000 within... more »

• Council members to seek 2nd vote on sewer buyout

  December 26, 2012 6:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Two East Baton Rouge Metro Councilwomen said they intend to place back on the council's agenda the proposed $6 million buyout plan for Scotlandville residents living next to a foul-smelling sewage treatment plant. The proposed deal to relocate 44 Scotlandville families and build a buffer zone... more »

• Costco BR application to be considered in January

  December 19, 2012 6:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Shoppers in Baton Rouge could soon have a big new option. Costco plans on opening one of their warehouse store locations near the Airline Highway/I-12 Interchange. The store would be built on the old, Coca Cola bottling company site. There are several businesses near the... more »

• Planned Costco store causes traffic concerns

  December 19, 2012 10:33 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Wholesale chain Costco filed an application with East Baton Rouge Parish to build a warehouse store at the old Coca Cola Bottling Plant near I-12. Costco said if approved, they intended to build a more than 144,000 square foot store and gas station at the site,... more »

• CDC: Language barrier caused chlorine gas leak

  December 6, 2012 12:25 PM

  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a chlorine gas leak at an Arkansas poultry plant last year that sickened nearly 200 people occurred because a worker couldn't read English. The CDC said in a report released Thursday that a Spanish-speaking worker at the Tyson... more »

• Warehouse destroyed during chemical fire

  November 19, 2012 8:09 AM

  SLAUGHTER - An early morning fire has destroyed the Monolyte Laboratories, Inc. facility in Slaughter. Police Chief Walter Smith says one of his officers was flagged down around 1:30 a.m. Monday and told of what appeared to be fire and smoke coming from the Monolyte facility. Smith says no one... more »

• Noise, smoke at plant "not an emergency" according to company

  November 12, 2012 3:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE- An operational issue at the ExxonMobil Plastics Plant on Hwy. 19 near Baker caused a large noise and spooked many people in the northern part of the city Monday afternoon. But, there is no emergency and no one is in danger the company said in a statement... more »

• Police: Calif. shooting suspect 'methodical'

  November 6, 2012 3:28 PM

  FRESNO, Calif. - Police say a parolee who killed two people and wounded two others at a chicken processing plant in California moved methodically between three of the victims, putting a handgun against their head or neck and opening fire. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the victims did not... more »

• Weyerhaeuser plant in Natchitoches plans upgrade

  October 8, 2012 3:14 PM

  NATCHITOCHES - Forest products company Weyerhaeuser has announced a $6 million modernization plan for its Natchitoches plant that will create 30 new jobs. The company announced the plan Monday with Gov. Bobby Jindal. Weyerhaeuser will improve equipment at the site, adding new jobs that pay an average salary of more... more »

• Council updates deal for chemical plant

  September 21, 2012 8:56 AM

  GONZALES - The Ascension Parish Council has approved revising an incentive proposal for a $300 million chemical facility set to locate in the parish. Canadian mineral development company Avalon Rare Metals Inc. announced last month its intention to build a 150-acre rare earth elements separation refinery in Geismar. Construction... more »

• DEQ fines company over leaks after Isaac

  September 18, 2012 5:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State regulators say they are issuing a $12,189 fine against a chemical terminal flooded during Hurricane Isaac because it did not notify authorities fast enough about chemical releases. On Tuesday, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said it issued the fine against Stolthaven New Orleans LLC, a... more »

• Burnside alumina plant in danger of closing again

  September 11, 2012 4:56 PM

  BURNSIDE - More than a year after announcing plans to reopen an idled alumina plant in Ascension Parish, Ormet Corporation announced today they could layoff many of the plant's 250 workers or even close it. Ormet said a recent Ohio public utilities ruling not to exempt the company's aluminum... more »

• Nuclear agency keeping close eye on Isaac

  August 28, 2012 6:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it is monitoring Hurricane Isaac as it approaches the Gulf Coast. Nuclear power plants in the Southeast have taken precautions such as tying down loose equipment, removing debris that could become airborne in winds of 75 mph or more and topping off... more »

• Resident: Deputy ambush sounded like "warzone" Play Video

  August 16, 2012 6:11 PM

  LAPLACE- Glenn Crowley said he's still trying to comprehend the sounds he heard early Thursday, when two deputies were killed by a man with an automatic weapon near where he lives. "I heard at least 30 rounds go off, it blew me away," he said. "I called my wife... more »

• Power restored to much of Morgan City Play Video

  June 27, 2012 6:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - After about 20 sweltering hours, the power is back on for most of Morgan City. Thousands of residents lost power after the town's only substation exploded and caught fire last night. The substation's transformer was damaged enough that it needed to be replaced, leaving the city... more »

• Damage to Morgan City steam plant worse than initially thought

  June 27, 2012 11:11 AM

  MORGAN CITY - People without power in Morgan City after a steam plant exploded and caught fire last night will be without electricity a while longer. According to a release from the city, damage to the plant is worse than initially thought. The new timetable for power restoration is... more »

• Many in Morgan City still without power

  June 26, 2012 7:07 PM

  MORGAN CITY - Many in Morgan City are still without power after an explosion at the municipal steam plant Tuesday evening. According to a release, damage to the plant is worse than initially thought. The new timetable for power restoration is late Wednesday afternon. St. Mary Parish has... more »

• Evacuated residents want compensation after fire

  May 29, 2012 10:15 AM

  ERWINVILLE - Some West Baton Rouge Parish residents forced from their homes because of a chemical fire say the Air Liquide company owes them. Authorities evacuated residents living within a mile around the Air Liquide facility after a fire last week ignited several acetylene containers in the plant. Several... more »

• 2 seafood firms accused of mislabeling shrimp

  May 23, 2012 10:48 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana seafood processing plant and an Illinois seafood distributor have each been charged with one count of mislabeling over $100,000 worth of commercially-sold shrimp. Federal prosecutors in New Orleans announced the charges, a felony violation of the Lacey Act, in a news release Wednesday. Doran Sea-Pak,... more »

• U.S. 190 reopens in Port Allen, evacuation lifted

  May 23, 2012 8:12 AM

  PORT ALLEN- All lanes are open on U.S. 190 at LA 983 (Bueche Road) in West Baton Rouge Parish. U.S. 190 was closed Monday morning after an explosion and fire at the Air Liquide plant. Crews extinguished the blaze Tuesday and are inspecting cylinders containing acetylene at the... more »

• Fire extinguished, road remains closed near Air Liquide plant

  May 22, 2012 7:20 AM

  PORT ALLEN - US Highway 190 at Bueche Rd. remains closed this morning, after a chemical fire at the Air Liquide plant caused officials to shut-down the roadway. Captain Doug Cain, with Louisiana State Police, says crews have extinguished the fire, but hot spots are still present. State... more »

• People wait out chemical fire at evacuation centers Play Video

  May 21, 2012 5:14 PM

  PORT ALLEN - Almost 200 people in West Baton Rouge Parish spent the afternoon in evacuation shelters after a fire at a storage facility forced them from their homes. "It sounded like fireworks explosives going boom, boom," said Alyssia Springer, who was evacuated to the Erwinville Community Center. ... more »

• DEQ: Refrigerant leak reported at Honeywell

  May 14, 2012 12:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Environmental quality said a chemical leak was quickly addressed at the Baton Rouge Honeywell plant today, and didn't result in any emergency. A DEQ spokesperson said ten pounds of Trichlorofluoromethane, a form of freon refrigerant, was released from a leaking flange. The... more »

• Expansion planned at Garyville plant

  May 10, 2012 2:14 PM

  GARYVILLE - A company that makes environmental services products at a plant in Garyville plans an $18.7 million expansion that will create 22 new jobs. Louisiana's Economic Development Department said Thursday that Nalco Company's new production facility will produce dry polymers that are used to remove contaminants from waste water.... more »

• Plan shelved to convert power plant to coal

  April 12, 2012 7:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Low natural gas prices and plentiful gas supplies have put aside plans to convert a gas-fired power plant to New Roads to coal power. NRG Energy Inc. spokesman Dave Knox says the company has allowed a state permit to convert the Big Cajun I plant to coal... more »

• DEQ: Westlake blast released several chemicals Play Video

  April 10, 2012 11:06 AM

  GEISMAR- State environmental officials say an explosion and fire last month at the Westlake Chemical Corp. complex in Geismar was the fifth and most significant release of chemicals at the plant since the beginning of 2010. The March 22 fire primarily released hydrochloric acid, chlorine and vinyl chloride monomer. Records... more »

• Roads near Geismar plant to stay closed tonight Play Video

  March 22, 2012 5:03 PM

  GEISMAR - State Police said La. 73 in Geismar will remain closed throughout the night due to the plant fire at the Westlake Vinyls plant earlier this morning. The highway was shut down between La. 30 and La. 75 after emergency crews responded to the fire at the chemical... more »

• Long-delayed plant to open in Hammond

  February 29, 2012 11:11 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A long-delayed manufacturing operation in Hammond is scheduled to begin operating late this year. According to the Advocate, Intralox chief executive Lawrence Oertling told a state board Tuesday that the plastic conveyor belt manufacturer plans to open during the fourth quarter. The Louisiana Commerce and Industry Board agreed... more »

• New oilfield services plant to open in Scott

  January 13, 2012 6:55 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A Houston-based company that provides corrosion protection services for the oil and gas industry is planning to open a new plant in Scott. Houston Plating and Coatings LLC says it will hire 120 people over the next five years to work at the new $9... more »

• Japan releases 40-year nuke plant cleanup plan

  December 21, 2011 5:26 AM

  TOKYO (AP) - Japan has released a new long-term cleanup plan for its tsunami-hit nuclear plant that would take as many as 40 years to fully decommission while keeping the still vulnerable facility safely under control. Trade Minister Yukio Edano said Wednesday that the government plans to move through the... more »

• Iberville Parish plant worker's death under investigation

  November 1, 2011 3:26 PM

  PLAQUEMINE - A 15 ton crane ran over and killed a worker at the Shintech manufacturing facility this morning making it the third death at the plant in past six months. Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office haven't released the man's identity yet as they, OSHA, and Shintech are still investigating... more »

• 4th-graders to plant wetlands garden at arboretum

  October 9, 2011 9:18 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Fourth-grade students from Iberville and Assumption parishes will plant a wetlands garden at the LSU Hilltop Arboretum on Oct. 20. The garden will be planted around a new elevated boardwalk on the edge of the arboretum's pond as part of Louisiana Wetlands Exploration Day presented by the... more »

• Honeywell to expand Baton Rouge plant

  July 6, 2011 1:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Honeywell International Inc. said Wednesday that it will invest $33 million in its Baton Rouge plant to produce a propellant for use in cleaners, insulation, warning systems, marine navigation and novelty aerosols. The industrial conglomerate, based in Morris Township, N.J., said the investment will enable the... more »

• New Iberia evacuation ends, plant cleanup starts

  June 16, 2011 2:16 PM

  NEW IBERIA, La - People are back in 68 homes and businesses in New Iberia, two days after a chemical fire forced evacuation. But Louisiana State Police say they won't reopen the street in front of Multi-Chem Corp. until the cleanup at the plant is complete. Trooper Stephen... more »

• Residents return to homes, businesses after plant explosion

  June 16, 2011 8:13 AM

  NEW IBERIA- Officials say residents that were forced to evacuate after a chemical plant explosion in Iberia Parish on Tuesday can return to their homes and businesses. Louisiana State Police say crews have extinguished the fire and have determined it is safe for people to return to the area.... more »

• Plant fire in New Iberia under control

  June 15, 2011 5:17 PM

  NEW IBERIA - Louisiana State Police report that the fire at a New Iberia chemical plant is under control. Trooper Stephen Hammons said crews with Williams Firefighting and Hazard Control are continuing to spray the plant with chemicals to completely extinguish the fire, which started after a reporter explosion... more »

• Fire continues to burn at New Iberia chemical plant

  June 15, 2011 2:47 AM

  NEW IBERIA- A fire at a chemical plant in Iberia Parish continues to burn after a series of explosions Tuesday afternoon. The first blast occurred just before 4 p.m. at at a facility owned by Multi-Chem Group LLC. It was followed by several more explosions, resulting in a large... more »

• Explosions rock La. chemical plant; no injuries

  June 14, 2011 4:45 PM

  NEW IBERIA, La. - State police say no one was injured in explosions that rocked a chemical plant in a southern Louisiana industrial park, forcing evacuations within a mile of the factory. Trooper Stephen Hammons says all employees are accounted for. He says Iberia Regional Airport was closed Tuesday... more »

• Carbo expanding in New Iberia

  May 31, 2011 3:26 PM

  NEW IBERIA - Carbo Ceramics Inc. said Tuesday that it will expand its plant at the Airport Industrial Park in New Iberia, creating 40 new jobs. The company currently employs 75 at the site. Houston-based Carbo manufactures proppant, which is used by petroleum companies to boost the output of... more »

• Shintech plant manager: Workers likely suffocated

  May 25, 2011 2:34 PM

  PLAQUEMINE, La. - Three investigations have been launched to determine what caused the deaths of two workers inside an industrial container at Shintech's Iberville Parish plant. Shintech, Louisiana State Police and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration are all investigating the deaths, which happened Sunday.... more »

• Warm, dry spring saves wheat planted in spillway

  May 21, 2011 3:13 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Marty Frey harvested 600 acres of wheat from the Morganza Spillway before it was opened, but his rice there had just been planted. He alternates rice and crawfish, and had planned to add 650 acres of rice to the 450 already in the spillway. Those fields... more »

• Ormet to reopen idled alumina plant in Ascension Parish

  May 16, 2011 1:37 PM

  BURNSIDE - Ormet Corporation announced today it will reopen its idled alumina plant in Ascension Parish, investing $21 million and creating more than 240 jobs at the plant. That reopening was announced today at Ormet's plant site by La. Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret and Ormet's President and CEO,... more »

• UAW: Shreveport plant to resume production

  March 25, 2011 2:03 PM

  SHREVEPORT, La. - General Motors Co. will resume production Monday at its Shreveport assembly plant after a weeklong shutdown. Doug Ebey, head of the United Auto Workers local at the plant, said Friday that the 800 employees will resume their normal four-day work week. The plant operates one... more »

• "Ultimate Factories" showcasing Baton Rouge plant

  March 17, 2011 2:39 PM

  The "Coca-Cola" plant in Baton Rouge will be featured on the National Geographic Channel show, "Ultimate Factories" tonight. The show will look at how Coca-Cola is able to produce 1.7 billion servings a day to customers around the world. The Baton Rouge plant is specifically profiled because it... more »

• North BR neighborhood continues fight against sewage plant

  March 15, 2011 9:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The fight to clear the air of a rotten smell in North Baton Rouge continues. Wednesday, neighbors in the "University Place" area will bring the battle over a sewer plant to the streets in a community march. They say the North Waste Water Plant stinks and... more »

• Explosion at Japan nuke plant, disaster toll rises

  March 12, 2011 11:11 AM

  IWAKI, Japan- An explosion shattered a building housing a nuclear reactor Saturday, amid fears of a meltdown, while across wide swaths of northeastern Japan officials searched for thousands of people missing more than a day after a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The confirmed death toll from Friday's twin disasters... more »

• Families plant trees in celebration of Arbor Day

  January 22, 2011 12:20 PM

  Families planted dozens of trees in celebration of Arbor Day at the Burden Center in Baton Rouge this morning. The event supports and promotes educational programs of the LSU AgCenter, the Burden Horticulture Society and the La. Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Families planted packets of tree seedlings... more »

• Hiring for new wind turbine plant begins

  January 11, 2011 3:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Job openings are beginning to trickle out of the new wind turbine plant being built at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. According to Louisiana Economic Development, Blade Dynamics will begin hiring 40 technical operators through their website. The salaried positions are the first of 600... more »

• Community shows support for Nucor at public hearing

  December 28, 2010 10:10 PM

  Dozens of residents in St. James Parish chimed in on a pig iron plant vying for an air permit from DEQ Tuesday night. Nucor Steel wants to build the plant on a 4,000 acre site, which would create about 1,200 jobs and millions in revenue for the parish. The... more »

• Aircraft plant out for Baton Rouge

  December 21, 2010 10:22 AM

  WICHITA, KANSAS- Airplane manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft will not move to Baton Rouge. "Nobody can build aircraft like we can," said a supporter of keeping the company in Kansas during a press conference Tuesday morning. In the fall, the company was considering a move to the Capitol City after contract negotiations... more »

• Hawker Beechcraft decision expected by end of March

  December 16, 2010 10:59 AM

  WICHITA, Kan. - The CEO of aircraft maker Hawker Beechcraft has said a decision will be made about the company's future location by the end of March 2011, according to an article by the Wichita Eagle. The company had received offers of incentives reportedly worth millions of dollars to... more »

• Shaw Group to engineer plant in India

  December 8, 2010 11:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Shaw Group Inc. says it has been selected by an India-based company to provide technology and engineering for an ethylene plant. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed Wednesday by Baton Rouge-based Shaw. The plant will be part of GAIL Ltd.'s petrochemical complex in Pata, India.... more »

• First-of- it's- kind plant to build in LA

  December 2, 2010 1:03 PM

  LAKE CHARLES- Louisiana was chosen over Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East for a new chemical plant. The company, Sasol Ltd. will expand it's operations in Southwest Louisiana. The new facility will use ethylene to produce polymer- the basic chemical needed to manufacture plastic. It's the first facility of... more »

• New plant brings jobs to East Baton Rouge Parish

  November 18, 2010 3:27 PM

  ZACHARY - New jobs are on the way for East Baton Rouge Parish following an early morning announcement that Great Southern Galvanizing will open their new plant in the parish. The company, which galvanizes or hardens products by dipping metal into molten zinc, will initially hire 60 people and... more »

• Nucor nearer to receiving $30 million from state

  October 20, 2010 4:43 PM

  Lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to rework the state's construction budget so steelmaker Nucor Corp. can receive $30 million from the state for its planned iron and steel plant in St. James Parish. In results released Wednesday, the House voted 94-4 and the Senate voted 30-4 in favor of a change in... more »

• V-Vehicle gets new name, CEO

  October 13, 2010 10:56 AM

  V-Vehicle Co., which hopes to build new cars in Ouachita Parish, has a new chief executive and a new name for the company. Kathleen Ligocki, a veteran auto executive, will lead the company under the new name Next Autoworks Co. Ligocki takes over for interim chief executive Ray... more »

• Audit: stronger security needed at U.S. nuclear plants

  October 4, 2010 10:03 AM

  A federal audit calls for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to improve nuclear power plant security against infiltration by potential terrorists. The audit set to be released today recommends additional training in identifying suspected terrorists, greater access to criminal databases by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, stepped up "re-screening" of power plant... more »

• Nucor incentives putting other state projects on hold

  September 20, 2010 10:07 AM

  The Jindal administration's plan to give $30 million to steelmaker Nucor for an iron and steel plant in St. James Parish is throwing the state's construction budget out of balance. To make the numbers work, some of the new construction projects lawmakers and the administration had planned to fund this... more »

• Report: Steel plant being built in St. James

  September 15, 2010 10:50 AM

  State officials are expected to announce today that a $2 billion steel plant is going to be built in St. James Parish, according to a report by WWL TV. State Rep. Nickie Monica confirmed that Nucor Steel would be building a plant in the area that would bring 2,000... more »

• La. wheat acreage expected to increase

  August 31, 2010 5:38 AM

  Louisiana's wheat acreage could easily double this year from the 150,000 acres planted last year, because prices are up substantially. Experts say wheat seed will be hard to get, and bad planting conditions last fall and decreased wheat acreage resulted in less seed available this year, when there's triple the... more »

• Sewage lagoon near chicken processing plant to be cleaned

  August 22, 2010 12:35 PM

  Contractors this week will try to eradicate a smelly problem from an industrial sewage lagoon in west central Mississippi. Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods, says the Arkansas-based poultry company has hired a contractor to remove solid waste near a Tyson plant at Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex outside... more »

• Wood pellet plant coming to Port of Baton Rouge

  April 21, 2010 2:26 PM

  A $124 million plant manufacturing wood pellets for fuel generation is headed to the Port of Baton Rouge. The plant, which is being built by Point Bio Energy LLC, will bring about 100 jobs to the area. Officials say the plant expects to begin making deliveries late next... more »

• V-Vehicle renews north Louisiana plant lease

  April 19, 2010 2:37 PM

  The V-Vehicle Co. says it has renewed its lease for a vacant manufacturing plant in Monroe. The Company is making its second attempt at getting a federal Energy Department loan to manufacture a fuel-efficient vehicle. Details of the lease have not been released. more »

• U.S.'s last sardine plant closing its doors

  April 14, 2010 6:57 AM

  Stinson Seafood, the last sardine cannery in the U.S. will packs its last can tomorrow in Prospect Harbor, Maine. Bumble Bee Foods, which has owned Stinson Seafood since 2004, announced in February it was closing the plant because of steep cuts in the amount of herring fishermen are allowed to... more »

• Norco chemical release causes voluntary evacuation

  April 13, 2010 8:14 AM

  There's a voluntary evacuation for St. Charles Parish after an early morning chemical release at the Dow facility in Norco. Students at three schools in Norco will not report to classes Tuesday. River Road has been closed between Washington Street and the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Dow has identified the substance... more »

• Shreveport's GM plant headed for probable closure

  February 24, 2010 3:59 PM

  General Motors announced Tuesday it will shut down Hummer after a failed bid to sell the brand to a Chinese company. The decision means the GM assembly plant in Shreveport will likely close. The plant has already seen payroll reduced from about 3,000 employees to around 950. Last year,... more »